A handyman for 30 years, Robert Hartman likes to keep up with new construction tools and gadgets.

”I do a lot of little odds and ends and I like the trade shows because they give me ideas,” he said Saturday when he traveled from Buford to a home expo at the Lakeview Center.

“When projects come up, I know who to go to.”

The expo, sponsored by the Dawson Lumpkin Homebuilders Association and held this past weekend, had something for everybody, according to outgoing president Bill Goode.

“Originally, we thought of this as a benefit to our members to expose them to the public. The other side of the story is we do it for the general public,” he said. “We want them to know what’s available right here in Dawsonville and close by in neighboring counties.”

Donald Morrison, a Hall County resident who holds an architectural degree, was interested in learning about innovations in woodworking.

“I like to do a lot of cabinet work and bookcases and small tables. It’s nice to keep up with what’s going on,” he said.

A representative from the local home improvement warehouse also talked to Morrison about a new re-circulating water pump that produces immediate hot water for faucets.

“We have our new products out for consumers to use,” Home Depot’s Dennis Johnson said. “Consumers seem to want to do more stuff themselves, so we have more consumer friendly products on display.”

Now in its second year, Goode said the expo is planned as an annual event.

“We want the general public coming in to recognize that the homebuilders association might be something for them too, even if they aren’t a homebuilder,” he said.